Anyone Experience This? (Read 166 times)

jim1030

posted: 7/31/2013 at 10:45 AM

I occasionally experience (as best as I can explain it) a sudden empty stomach feeling usually about 2-3 miles into my run. No stomach upset or cramps or anything, it just feels like I havent eaten in 3 days. I'll be running at a pretty typical pace for me, and all of a sudden, my stomach feels completely empty and my legs lose all energy. Sometimes I can run/walk for a mile or so and it goes away, sometimes it doesnt go away. It doesnt appen all the time. It's probably happened about a dozen times in the past year.

I usually eat a Kashi bar (about 15min - 30min before my run) and coffee before I head out for my run, and I dont experience any problems. I dont keep any logs or anything, but, it seems to happen most frequently (although not exclusively) when I eat oatmeal for breakfast. I've been trying different foods for breakfast because I'm getting pretty bored eating Kashi bars all the time. Today, it was hot oat bran with some peaches mixed in about 45 minutes before my run. I dont experience any problems having oatmeal for breakfast on days that I dont run.

I know the easiest solution is to stay away from oatmeal before a run......

Has anybody experienced this? Does anybody know what this is trying to tell me? It's kinda making me nuts!

I don't get this very often while running, but I've had it come on maybe an hour into a bike ride, even if I ate an hour or two before heading out. It's generally a random, unpredictable thing.

Given the highly carby nature of the foods you're eating pre-run, perhaps try something with some protein and/or fat...like some PB or an egg, or some cheese, or a handful of nuts. That might help. Sometimes the high-carb foods can lead to rapid drops in blood sugar, which can really give some off-the-chart hunger pangs for a lot of us.

'15 Goals:

You might experiment with not eating carbs closer than 3 hours before a run. Eating candy bars (all energy bars are candy bars) or a bowl of carbs like oatmeal right before a run like that puts you right into a sugar-burning, insulin producing mode. Not good for some people that close to a run or a race. In some people, it can cause cramps in hard runs, including races. I know there's a ton of advice out there to eat carbs right before a run, and probably some research to back it up (there always is), but I've also read research that states the opposite (there's always the opposite, too).

My experience has also been that it's better not to eat closer than 3 hours before a run. I've done four-hour long runs on empty stomach with no crashing of any kind, keeping at an effort that burns primarily fat. For marathons, I'd get up 4 hours before race time and have a small meal, then go back to sleep. Then I don't eat anything until about 40 minutes into the race. Ran mostly no-wall marathons doing this. Even if I start a run when I'm hungry, the hunger usually subsides. Give not eating, or not eating so close, a try. You'll feel lighter, no food in your stomach to be churning, and it might get rid of these crashes you're having. Experiment. What you're doing now doesn't work. Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between what I'm offering up and what you're currently doing. It's always at least a little different for every runner.

One of the purposes of aerobic training is to get the body to get faster while using fat as fuel. There is some evidence that not eating before a long run can aid in teaching the body to use fat

As I understood it it's a very light fluctuation in the insulin levels but that your body makes a whole drama of. I had it a few times when taking supplements that contain artificial sweeteners as it seems that your body "believes" these to be true sugars and when it finds out there are less of the stuff as what it expected it just calls in an artillery strike... even if the amounts are minute.

In my case they almost disappeared once I knew the cause even when consuming supplements which happen to contain saccharine or the like.

Nothing serious in any case. Try carrying a mint or something sweet. A gel would be overkill but it's a good option too f you don't mind the extra 2-300 calories

When I run I feel like a swallow

Because you are free like a bird?

Nope, because of all the flies I eat.

Julia1971

posted: 7/31/2013 at 12:28 PM

I may not be understanding your question or concern. I wouldn't think it's that unusual for morning runners to feel hungry sometimes during their runs. They've just gone hours and hours without a real meal. I do find, though,that certain foods trigger hunger for me more than others. For me, it's fruit. I don't eat it before runs because I'll feel starving in about the time frame you're describing. I stick to bready things - bagels, toast, fig newtons, etc. I would like to be an oatmeal person but it never takes. As far as loosing energy, I would guess that has more to do with what you had for dinner and your training regime (are you starting out too fast, for example). And as you say, you don't loose steam everytime, so there's probably more going on than just what you had 15 minutes before. But, I'm just guessing.

If I eat anything other than really simple carbs before running, I will sometimes get a lightheaded, low energy feeling within the first 20 minutes of the run, but it will generally pass after another 10 minutes or so. Oatmeal definitely is one of the foods that will do this to me.

I have no idea bout the science but I have always felt like it was because my body was deploying lots of oxygenated blood to my stomach to try and break down whatever I ate, and when I suddenly started running and my body had to also send a lot of oxygenated blood to my working muscles there wasn't enough to go around so I feel fatigued temporarily.

My solution is I try not to eat within an hour of going running. If I'm running early in the morning I run first, then eat breakfast.

I occasionally experience (as best as I can explain it) a sudden empty stomach feeling usually about 2-3 miles into my run. No stomach upset or cramps or anything, it just feels like I havent eaten in 3 days. I'll be running at a pretty typical pace for me, and all of a sudden, my stomach feels completely empty and my legs lose all energy. Sometimes I can run/walk for a mile or so and it goes away, sometimes it doesnt go away. It doesnt appen all the time. It's probably happened about a dozen times in the past year.

I usually eat a Kashi bar (about 15min - 30min before my run) and coffee before I head out for my run, and I dont experience any problems. I dont keep any logs or anything, but, it seems to happen most frequently (although not exclusively) when I eat oatmeal for breakfast. I've been trying different foods for breakfast because I'm getting pretty bored eating Kashi bars all the time. Today, it was hot oat bran with some peaches mixed in about 45 minutes before my run. I dont experience any problems having oatmeal for breakfast on days that I dont run.

I know the easiest solution is to stay away from oatmeal before a run......

Has anybody experienced this? Does anybody know what this is trying to tell me? It's kinda making me nuts!

thanks!

This happens to me on occasion, this week actually. It was the first time I thought I'd have to bail on non-speedwork run (and with so much precious time to continue running!). I swung by the car and found something sweet to drink.

This happens to me on occasion, this week actually. It was the first time I thought I'd have to bail on non-speedwork run (and with so much precious time to continue running!). I swung by the car and found something sweet to drink.

I stick to juice or a banana. I always have coffee.

So, along the lines of what Mikey said, try sticking to simple carbs.

Proof that we're all an experiment of 1 -- high glycemic carbs like juice or a banana (or bread/potato/energy gel/candy bar) are surefire recipes for me to have that godawful gnawing within an hour, even if I'm just sitting around.

'15 Goals:

Your symptoms sound identical to what I occasionally experience. I've always thought of it as "high insulin sensitivity", but have never been sure if this is commonplace or more of a condition. It is fairly easily managed through diet...not only what I eat but when I eat it...with the biggest trigger being the "when".

My daily runs are very early in the morning, so I almost always have to get going before eating anything...and rarely have any issues. Incidentally, I've read that this (not fueling before/during workouts) is a good training practice. When I do have time to eat prior to a workout, I have to stay away from oatmeal, juice, and bars. Since Pop Tarts are out, my fall back snack is Greek yogurt but a fruit or whole grain toast also work for me. Either way, I have to wait an hour (preferably two) after eating before I can get on road without risking that empty-weak-shaky feeling.